Onitsuka Tiger opens US pop up in New York City

(Author : FashionNetwork)Sneaker label Onitsuka Tiger has touched down in the US, opening a new pop up gallery on 92 Mercer Street in New York City.

The 1,290-square-foot retail location is a combination of a footwear boutique and an exhibition space. In store, customers will find Onitsuka Tiger footwear and apparel, including the Andrea Pompilio collaboration capsule that launched in spring 2013, as well as archive posters and replica performance shoes, and collaborative art by Japanese muralist and painter Enirico Isamu Oyama.

Tiger also debuted at the pop up its Nippon Made Collection for the first time in the US. The Nippon Made Collection, which retails for $300, is comprised of leather made, hand stitched and dyed sneakers that are one of a kind time.

The Asics-owned brand is not just selling sneakers—it has a story to tell. Kihachiro Onitsuka launched the Japan-based brand in 1949 with the first Asics shoe. By 1955, the brand was sold at as many as 500 stores in Japan, and less than a decade later, it entered the US market through future Nike co-founder and Chairman Phil Knight.

In 1977, the sneaker brand merged with GTO and Jelenk to form Asics, which stands for “Anima Sana in Corpore Sano” or “A Healthy Soul in a Healthy Body.” The archive memorabilia at the pop up takes customers through the brand’s journey from its humble beginning to its immense popularity around the time of its merger and to its place as one of the more popular global sneaker brands. The Onitsuka Tiger pop up will remain in New York City through 2017 and is slated to close in December.